Taipei Cultural Center in New York

Taipei Cultural Center in New York is very pleased to announce that contemporary Taiwanese artist, Leigh Li-Yun Wen’s (鄭麗雲) solo exhibition, the Four Elements of Leigh Li-Yun Wen is on view in the in the Albany Institute of History & Art from January 29 to June 19.

The four elements of western cosmology-earth, air, fire, water-are the subjects of artist Leigh Wen’s work. Whether paintings, prints, or ceramics, Wen’s art expresses her personal and cultural histories. Having grown up on the island of Taiwan, she possesses a deep affinity for the elemental power of water and the forces of nature. As a Taiwanese-American artist who has lived in both Taiwan and America, she feels the ebb and flow of competing cultures. The ancient philosophies of her homeland, which teach self-discipline and selflessness, collide and mingle with Western notions of ego, alienation, and desire.

Wen’s working method is a process of subtraction from darkness to light. “I carved into the paint with a stylus to bring forth the individual lines that are the central motif of my work,” she notes. These lines flow across the canvas in rhythms and frequencies that create depths and swells on the painted surface. Something of the self is lost in the resulting tangle and then regained, only to be lost again. Simplicity and harmony exist within the chaos of the world. Color is used to expand the emotional range in Wen’s work: “my palette is drawn not from appearances but from the lyric and psychic necessities of my art.” The uniformity of line, from edge to edge and painting to painting, implies suppression of the artist’s hand in favor of objectivity learned from nature. In spite of this, her work remains deeply autobiographical.

About the Artist, Leigh Li-Yun Wen
Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Leigh Li-Yun Wen is a Taiwanese-American artist who resides in New York City. She received her MFA from the State University of New York at Albany in 1994 and served as a cultural ambassador envoy during the Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations. She has exhibited in 18 American embassies, consulates, and other government institutions located in countries such as Jordan, Malaysia, Singapore, Namibia, Botswana, Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Denmark, and Poland.

Wen was awarded a 1997 New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, and honored to be the artist of New York State by The New York State Legislature. And, in 2000, she was honored with both New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowships and The Helena Rubinstein Fellowship. In 2001, she won the Lorenzo de Medici Award in Florence Biennale. In addition, Wen was awarded Artist Grants by the Pollock-Krasner Foundation in 1999 and 2005. In 2000 awarded as Helena Rubinstein Fellow. She is an artist who is held in high esteem across not just the U.S. also international curatorial and collectors' circles for her achievements and the unique character of her work. Her works have been included in many private and public museum collections, such as permanent collections at the U.S. Embassy in Barbados and the American Institute in Taiwan.

About the Curator, Tammis K. Groft
Tammis Groft was appointed Executive Director in June 2013. Under her leadership, the Albany Institute focused on achieving financial sustainability, experimented with new community-based programs and outreach projects, upgraded technologies, and grew museum and library collection holdings to better tell the stories of people in the region. She organized and researched the development of many important exhibitions, including A Sense of Time: The Historical Art of L. F. Tantillo (2021), Painting the American Southwest: The Work of Otto Plaug (2020), An Orphan No More: A Recently Discovered Oil Sketch by Anthony Van Dyck (2019) and etc. Groft has also written and or contributed to numerous publications, including The Mystery of the Albany Mummies (2018), Hudson River Panorama: A Passage through Time (2009). Throughout her career, she has shared her knowledge and training with students of art and history. In 2013, she was awarded the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID) Norman S. Rice Arts, Culture & Education Award, recognizing her lasting contribution to arts, culture, and education for the Albany community.

About the Museum
The Albany Institute of History & Art is a museum in Albany, New York, United States, "dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting and promoting interest in the history, art, and culture of Albany and the Upper Hudson Valley region". It is located on Washington Avenue in downtown Albany. Founded in 1791, it is among the oldest museums in the United States. Several other institutions have merged over time to become today's Albany Institute. The earliest were learned societies devoted to the natural sciences, and for a time it was the state legislature's informal advisory body on agriculture. Robert R. Livingston was the first president. Joseph Henry delivered his first paper on electromagnetism to the Institute. Its collections of animal, vegetable and mineral specimens from state surveys eventually became the foundations of the New York State Museum. Later in the century it became more focused on the humanities, and eventually merged with the Albany Historical and Art Society. It has had its present name since 1926. Over the course of the 20th century it has become more firmly established as a regional art museum. Albany Institute of History & Art museum has the biggest collection of "Hudson River school paintings".

The Four Elements of Leigh Li-Yun Wen is organized by the Albany Institute of History & Art and supported by Taipei Cultural Center in New York.

Exhibition: 《The Four Elements of Leigh Li-Yun Wen》
Venue: Albany Institute of History & Art
(25 WASHINGTON AVENUE ALBANY, NY 12210)
Date: January 29 – June 19, 2022
Gallery Hours:
Monday-Tuesday Closed
Wednesday-Saturday 10AM-5PM
Sunday Noon–5PM
https://www.albanyinstitute.org/the-four-elements-of-leigh-li-yun-wen.html

Leigh Li-Yun Wen, Image courtesy of the artist.

Taiwanese people around the world are looking forward to the arrival of the Lunar New Year on February 1, 2022, as the upcoming holiday marks the beginning of the Year of the Tiger.

To celebrate, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA) is presenting its New Year Prints Exhibition, which uses each year’s zodiac animal as its annual theme. All 12 Chinese zodiac animals are linked to certain characteristics. According to the zodiac, the tiger’s positive qualities include being kind, adventurous, and enthusiastic.

NTMoFA’s New Year Prints Exhibition is one of Taiwan’s most iconic and festive art exhibitions. For this year’s edition, “Joyful Tiger Harvesting Happiness,” 82 artworks were chosen from 198 total entries. While the earliest textual reference to a print appeared in an ancient transcript (the Shanhai Jing, 山海經) and was meant for protection, most of the winning prints in NTMoFA’s exhibitions represent blessings for health, luck, peace, joy, and prosperity.

Taipei Cultural Center in New York is delighted to present this year’s winning prints. You can check them out virtually HERE (NTMoFA’s website).

The image, Jinzun (金樽), Serigraphy Print, 21.45"x15.55", created by the artist, Paul Chiang, is commissioned and provided by the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts.

“Cheng's potent solo work combines his knowledge of mathematics and the laws of physics with his powerful expressive force to tell a deeply personal and emotional story through the journey of an electron. ... ‘Touchdown’ is deep with metaphor and dual meanings. It's a beautifully executed metaphor for a timeless truth that could not feel more urgent as we begin 2022.” -- Cindy Sibilsky, Broadway World

“Touchdown… brilliantly conveyed life’s poetic complexity. The work… uses quantum physics as an analogy for life and its uncertainties.”-- Karen Greenspan, DanceTabs

“We can pay attention to moments like the final image in ’Touchdown’ — floating lights representing how electrons ‘glow when they fall.’ And we can remember not to take for granted visits from abroad.” -- Brian Siebert, the New York Times

Incandescence Dance, a Taiwanese dance company, travelled halfway across the world to bring its latest piece, “Touchdown,” to New York for Japan Society’s Contemporary Dance Festival 2022 from January 14-15. The performance did not disappoint, receiving extensive praise from both audiences and critics alike.

Hao Cheng, choreographer and dancer of “Touchdown,” said, “I am honored and overwhelmed. Life is filled with turbulence, and how to face it and deal with it is an important task, especially during this challenging time. I am glad the audience felt comforted after watching my performance. It is an incredible experience.”

Taipei Cultural Center’s director, Huichun Chang, appreciated the Japan Society’s partnership and efforts to showcase Taiwanese dancers at its Contemporary Dance Festival. She added that “This was the first live performance of Taiwanese artists who flew to the United States since 2020, and their wonderful performances became worth waiting for.”

January 14-15, 2022
The lineup included FreeSteps – NiNi (Taiwan), A HUM SAN SUI (Japan), Complement (Korea), Touchdown (Taiwan)
New York, Japan Society

Mathematician-turned-choreographer Hao Cheng (鄭皓) uses the chalk board as his stage in a solo performance that explores quantum physics through repeated circular motions.
New York Times Review: Reveling in Live Dance at Japan Society
By Brian Seibert, January 16, 2022
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/16/arts/dance/japan-society-dance-festival-review.html

Broadway World Review: CONTEMPORARY DANCE FESTIVAL 2022: JAPAN + EAST ASIA at Japan Society
By Cindy Sibilsky, January 17, 2022
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Review-CONTEMPORARY-DANCE-FESTIVAL-2022-JAPAN-EAST-ASIA-at-Japan-Society-20220117

Dance Tabs Review: Japan Society – 2022 Contemporary Dance Festival: Japan + East Asia
By Karen Greenspan, January 19, 2022
https://dancetabs.com/2022/01/japan-society-2022-contemporary-dance-festival-japan-east-asia/

“As part of Taiwanese choreographer Wei-Chia Su’s FreeSteps project, the exceptionally agile dancer NiNi (also known as Yu-Ting Fang) performed on a stage island in the lobby of Japan Society. ... This was dance as moving sculpture, a three-dimensional study best appreciated in person.” -- Brian Siebert, the New York Times

“This pre-show performance choreographed by Wei-Chia Su – founder of Taiwan’s celebrated dance company called Horse – was a riveting gem.” -- Karen Greenspan, DanceTabs

“NiNi is an enchanting performer who set the tone and whet the appetite for more.” -- Cindy Sibilsky, Broadway World

HORSE, a Taiwanese dance company, traveled halfway across the world to bring their latest piece, “FreeSteps – Nini,” to New York for Japan Society’s Contemporary Dance Festival from January 14-15. The performance did not disappoint, receiving significant acclaim from both audiences and critics alike.

Wei-Chia Su, founder and choreographer of HORSE, was grateful that audiences and dance critics in New York had the opportunity to see NiNi (aka Yu-Ting Fang) perform. “Their praise and applause were the best part of this trip,” he said.

Taipei Cultural Center’s director, Huichun Chang, appreciated the Japan Society’s partnership and efforts to showcase Taiwanese dancers at its Contemporary Dance Festival. She added that “This was the first live performance of Taiwanese artists who flew to the United States since 2020, and their wonderful performances became worth waiting for.”

January 14-15, 2022
The lineup included FreeSteps – NiNi (Taiwan), A HUM SAN SUI (Japan), Complement (South Korea), and Touchdown (Taiwan)

This piece was created by the founder and choreographer of HORSE, Wei-Chia Su (蘇威嘉), and performed by Yu-Ting Fang (方妤婷). In this solo dance project, the dancer performs under the lights in an indoor Japanese garden, where all of the elements, including the temperature, lighting, landscape, and even passersby, become a part of the spectacle.

New York Times Review: Reveling in Live Dance at Japan Society
By Brian Seibert, January 16, 2022
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/16/arts/dance/japan-society-dance-festival-review.html

Broadway World Review: CONTEMPORARY DANCE FESTIVAL 2022: JAPAN + EAST ASIA at Japan Society
By Cindy Sibilsky, January 17, 2022
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Review-CONTEMPORARY-DANCE-FESTIVAL-2022-JAPAN-EAST-ASIA-at-Japan-Society-20220117

Dance Tabs Review: Japan Society – 2022 Contemporary Dance Festival: Japan + East Asia
By Karen Greenspan, January 19, 2022
https://dancetabs.com/2022/01/japan-society-2022-contemporary-dance-festival-japan-east-asia/